While everyone else seems to be throwing names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Evan Mobley out there as potential targets the OKC Thunder could look to strike on a trade for, Marc Stein believes a more plausible move could be coming in just the next few weeks.
In a recent intel drop, the NBA insider addressed ongoing rumors that Oklahoma City is strongly considering moving up in the 2026 NBA Draft to select one of this year's top prospects.
Though fellow insider Jake Fischer noted in another Substack post that this interest is geared toward a pursuit for Duke's Cam Boozer, Stein believes that Michigan's Aday Mara "would figure to be a more realistic" option.
Thunder urged to make 'more realistic' push for center Aday Mara
Right now, Boozer constantly finds himself rotating between picks one through three in virtually every mock draft out there.
Considering the trio of teams atop the draft board in the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies are seemingly hell-bent on adding a foundational young piece to their rotation, it's hard to envision it being an easy task to sneak into this range, even for a team flush with assets like the Thunder.
Because of this, Stein's point on Mara being a more realistic target to look into trading up for certainly seems to be quite logical.
Right now, the Wolverine pivot generally finds himself projected to be snatched up within the middle of the draft lottery, and for good reason.
In his lone season at Michigan, Mara established himself as the most dominant rim protector at the collegiate level thanks to his ridiculous 7-foot-3 frame and averages of 2.6 blocks per game while posting 12.1 points, 6.8 boards, and 2.4 assists a night en route to an NCAA Championship.
While his jumper still needs a bit of refining, the possibility of him adding such a skill set to his bag has many drawing comparisons to the likes of Brook Lopez and, in some cases, Kristaps Porzingis, in terms of professional archetype.
Of course, even without a floor-spacing game, the big man still has the tools necessary to be a tremendous addition to this Thunder team's frontcourt, as he's a big-bodied presence who can defend the rim, set rock-wall screens, and keep the ball moving thanks to his incredibly impressive passing touch.
Especially after showing clear struggles going up against the behemoth Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference Finals, the idea of adding yet another sturdy 7-footer to their arsenal should certainly pique the interest of Sam Presti and company.
Add us as a preferred source on Google